Italy’s Luna Rossa is threatening to sit out Sunday’s opening race of the America’s Cup while it awaits the ruling of an international jury on a protest. The protest hearing is not scheduled until Monday, although the regatta director Iain Murray said there was a chance the matter could be resolved before then.
Luna Rossa and Emirates Team New Zealand have protested Murray’s authority to change rules as part of safety recommendations he made after the British sailor Andrew Simpson was killed May 9 when Artemis Racing’s 72-foot catamaran capsized during a training run in San Francisco Bay. They have also said that the change gives an advantage to the defending champion Oracle Team USA, which does not have to race until the start of the 34th America’s Cup on Sept. 7.
Why should either Team New Zealand or Luna Rossa race and risk damaging their boats and gear when Team Artemis gets an automatic bye to the finals? There is absolutely nothing to be gained for these teams.